I ALWAYS double check the work those guys do, or better yet sit in the bay and watch them do it. A friend of mine in college got an oil change from the cut rate local shop, and the village idiots they hired were farking around and forgot to put oil back in her car....

I learned this lesson the hard way several years ago. Had a coupon for a free tire rotation included with an oil change at [redacted]. Driving home I noticed an extreme vibration of the steering wheel so I pulled over. Yep, the lugnuts on left front wheel were about to fall off. Fixored w/lugrwrench from trunk. I should have known better after a previous experience with another [redacted] company whose grease monkey didn't properly tighten the oil filter, resulting in a warning light (and narrowly avoided engine damage) a few days later. Ever since I have avoided quick/jiffy chains and used a certified, reputable local shop recommended by a friend.

CSB: Took my girl's car to get her oil changed because the place was charging less than I could even buy the oil and filter for. He's got the car up on the jack and he says, "One of these lugs is stripped and another post is missing."

I knew about the post but it was impossible that I stripped the lug because I hand tighten them every time. He wanted to replace the posts for $50 I said no way. He tried to say, "Well, the manager is being really cool because he shouldn't let you drive this out of here."

I'm like, "Yeah, I live 5 seconds away and you'll never see me again." Cost me about $4 to replace the posts and lugs myself.

jaylectricity:CSB: Took my girl's car to get her oil changed because the place was charging less than I could even buy the oil and filter for. He's got the car up on the jack and he says, "One of these lugs is stripped and another post is missing."

I knew about the post but it was impossible that I stripped the lug because I hand tighten them every time. He wanted to replace the posts for $50 I said no way. He tried to say, "Well, the manager is being really cool because he shouldn't let you drive this out of here."

I'm like, "Yeah, I live 5 seconds away and you'll never see me again." Cost me about $4 to replace the posts and lugs myself.

CSB: I got my brakes fixed at a place here, and it was the end of the day. They finished my car, and suddenly the dude who'd been working on my car waves me into the service bay to back my car out. I know that's pretty irregular, but I figure, well, if it's OK with them...So I get in the car, start to back out, put my foot on the brake to slow down a little to start making the turn...and the brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. The idiot forgot to pump the brakes to put pressure in the system. And I am now rolling down an embankment, headed for the plate glass window of a store facing the brake place.

My only thought, at that point, is to start turning the car. I throw the steering wheel hard to the right, which turns me away from the store's plate glass window, and eventually I crash into a curb in front of the store. I'm really just too shocked to be really mad about it, at least then.

Anyway, I didn't pay for the brakes, and I got a rental car (much nicer than the one I actually drove) for a couple of weeks while pretty extensive body work was done on my car, all on the store's dime. But god damn was that some scary shiat.

Lsherm:jaylectricity: CSB: Took my girl's car to get her oil changed because the place was charging less than I could even buy the oil and filter for. He's got the car up on the jack and he says, "One of these lugs is stripped and another post is missing."

I knew about the post but it was impossible that I stripped the lug because I hand tighten them every time. He wanted to replace the posts for $50 I said no way. He tried to say, "Well, the manager is being really cool because he shouldn't let you drive this out of here."

I'm like, "Yeah, I live 5 seconds away and you'll never see me again." Cost me about $4 to replace the posts and lugs myself.

My dealership did that one to me. When I brought it back, they quoted me $1200 for parts without even checking it!! So, I took it to a mechanic friend and she found the lugnuts. I never even bothered to check.

I bought a truck off of one of my cousins. Being the nice guy he is, he took it to Jiffy Lube to get all the fluids changed first. I drove it 300 miles home, before the tranny went. Idiots forgot to put the plug back on.

jake_lex:CSB: I got my brakes fixed at a place here, and it was the end of the day. They finished my car, and suddenly the dude who'd been working on my car waves me into the service bay to back my car out. I know that's pretty irregular, but I figure, well, if it's OK with them...So I get in the car, start to back out, put my foot on the brake to slow down a little to start making the turn...and the brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. The idiot forgot to pump the brakes to put pressure in the system. And I am now rolling down an embankment, headed for the plate glass window of a store facing the brake place.

My only thought, at that point, is to start turning the car. I throw the steering wheel hard to the right, which turns me away from the store's plate glass window, and eventually I crash into a curb in front of the store. I'm really just too shocked to be really mad about it, at least then.

Anyway, I didn't pay for the brakes, and I got a rental car (much nicer than the one I actually drove) for a couple of weeks while pretty extensive body work was done on my car, all on the store's dime. But god damn was that some scary shiat.

Pokey.Clyde:jake_lex: CSB: I got my brakes fixed at a place here, and it was the end of the day. They finished my car, and suddenly the dude who'd been working on my car waves me into the service bay to back my car out. I know that's pretty irregular, but I figure, well, if it's OK with them...So I get in the car, start to back out, put my foot on the brake to slow down a little to start making the turn...and the brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. The idiot forgot to pump the brakes to put pressure in the system. And I am now rolling down an embankment, headed for the plate glass window of a store facing the brake place.

My only thought, at that point, is to start turning the car. I throw the steering wheel hard to the right, which turns me away from the store's plate glass window, and eventually I crash into a curb in front of the store. I'm really just too shocked to be really mad about it, at least then.

Anyway, I didn't pay for the brakes, and I got a rental car (much nicer than the one I actually drove) for a couple of weeks while pretty extensive body work was done on my car, all on the store's dime. But god damn was that some scary shiat.

You don't know what an emergency/parking brake is?

IIRC it's still needs the brake system to be working. Do newer models allow you to throw the transmission into park to stop the car?

thatboyoverthere:Pokey.Clyde: jake_lex: CSB: I got my brakes fixed at a place here, and it was the end of the day. They finished my car, and suddenly the dude who'd been working on my car waves me into the service bay to back my car out. I know that's pretty irregular, but I figure, well, if it's OK with them...So I get in the car, start to back out, put my foot on the brake to slow down a little to start making the turn...and the brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. The idiot forgot to pump the brakes to put pressure in the system. And I am now rolling down an embankment, headed for the plate glass window of a store facing the brake place.

My only thought, at that point, is to start turning the car. I throw the steering wheel hard to the right, which turns me away from the store's plate glass window, and eventually I crash into a curb in front of the store. I'm really just too shocked to be really mad about it, at least then.

Anyway, I didn't pay for the brakes, and I got a rental car (much nicer than the one I actually drove) for a couple of weeks while pretty extensive body work was done on my car, all on the store's dime. But god damn was that some scary shiat.

You don't know what an emergency/parking brake is?

IIRC it's still needs the brake system to be working. Do newer models allow you to throw the transmission into park to stop the car?

Negative. The emergency brake is a physical connection between the handle/pedal and your rear brakes. It's there for emergencies, like total loss of brake fluid from a cut hose or what not. It would have worked.... as long as it has been properly maintained.

thatboyoverthere:Pokey.Clyde: jake_lex: CSB: I got my brakes fixed at a place here, and it was the end of the day. They finished my car, and suddenly the dude who'd been working on my car waves me into the service bay to back my car out. I know that's pretty irregular, but I figure, well, if it's OK with them...So I get in the car, start to back out, put my foot on the brake to slow down a little to start making the turn...and the brake pedal goes all the way down to the floor. The idiot forgot to pump the brakes to put pressure in the system. And I am now rolling down an embankment, headed for the plate glass window of a store facing the brake place.

My only thought, at that point, is to start turning the car. I throw the steering wheel hard to the right, which turns me away from the store's plate glass window, and eventually I crash into a curb in front of the store. I'm really just too shocked to be really mad about it, at least then.

Anyway, I didn't pay for the brakes, and I got a rental car (much nicer than the one I actually drove) for a couple of weeks while pretty extensive body work was done on my car, all on the store's dime. But god damn was that some scary shiat.

You don't know what an emergency/parking brake is?

IIRC it's still needs the brake system to be working. Do newer models allow you to throw the transmission into park to stop the car?

The parking brake is mechanical on most cars and seperate from the hydraulic system.

Had this happen twice. First time I was 16 and on my way to school. Was driving about 35 mph at the time, but proceeded to make a right turn at a stoplight nearby. A few seconds later, the previously attached wheel rambled its way into the side of my beloved Plymouth Volare, marring its faux-woodgrain. I never figured out what had happened or how, as the wheel came off, but the lug nuts remained. Just ripped through the rim, while driving in a straight line. Should have asked my Physics teacher. The second time was about 6 years ago after a rotation, Wheel came off, and just rolled off into the woods. 45 mph that time. I had spare lug nuts and reattached the wheel. Never went back to that place, as it would have led to trouble,.

Both times it was a front wheel, on a RWD vehicle unlike this accident.

Ron White:"I was in Georgia on tour when i noticed that the tires on my van were wearing weird, so i took it to Sears Automotive a trusted name in automotive care...it took them 3 and a half hours to change 4 tires...they had to wittle one out of a piece of wheat...and $900 of my hard earned cash, I took the first right hand turn out of the parking lot and the left rear tire falls off, it falls off, it falls the F*** off..turning my van into a tripod, sending me into a dimension of pissed off i have never been in before in my life! Later through research i discovered that this guy was a tire guy, he didn't somedays work on transmissions...he was a tire guy. Apparently Sears sent him to tire...college...for 3 days, apparently he was sick on LUGNUT DAY, but they still let him work on my van! So i'm sueing them and I'm hoping by this time next year they will have to rename the Sears Tower in Chicago to ehh Ron White's Big Ole God Damn Building and you guys can all come party!"

Elegy:I ALWAYS double check the work those guys do, or better yet sit in the bay and watch them do it. A friend of mine in college got an oil change from the cut rate local shop, and the village idiots they hired were farking around and forgot to put oil back in her car....

Everyone should double check the work especially at places like JiffyScrew. I took my mom's car in for an oil change and the idiots forced the oil plug back into the oil pan, stripping the threads causing a rapid oil leak, causing a total cluster fark and a blown engine. Took three years of legal wrangling but the b'stards finally paid up.

If I only had looked - took 30 seconds and looked at the bloody plug, it would have saved an old lady three years of bull shiat. And what really makes me mad is my brother warned me to check. Still haven't lived it down 15 years.

Jamieboy:Elegy: I ALWAYS double check the work those guys do, or better yet sit in the bay and watch them do it. A friend of mine in college got an oil change from the cut rate local shop, and the village idiots they hired were farking around and forgot to put oil back in her car....

Everyone should double check the work especially at places like JiffyScrew. I took my mom's car in for an oil change and the idiots forced the oil plug back into the oil pan, stripping the threads causing a rapid oil leak, causing a total cluster fark and a blown engine. Took three years of legal wrangling but the b'stards finally paid up.

If I only had looked - took 30 seconds and looked at the bloody plug, it would have saved an old lady three years of bull shiat. And what really makes me mad is my brother warned me to check. Still haven't lived it down 15 years later.

A mechanic friend of mine tells me about this one chucklehead they hired at his shop. Guy comes in with a super-nice sports car of some sorts for a tire rotation. Hands the keys to the chucklehead and demands that he not use the air gun to put the lugs on -- he's to hand-tighten the lugs only. Chucklehead finishes and guy drives off. Apparently he was back a day later pissed as hell as two of his wheels came off as he raced down the interstate. Turns out the chucklehead did "hand-tighten" the lugs -- by hand alone. No torque wrench. No tool of any kind. He tightened them just as tight as his finger-strength would allow. Needless to say, it sounds like it was a real mess, although my friend was pleased it happened to this particular sport-car-guy as he was a real douche.

CSBBrother took his car for whatever caused them to take off the tires. He gets 3 miles from the shop when the wheel pops off in a turn grinding the corner panel into the road. He gets it flatbedded back to the shop and has it dropped in the middle of the lot. The shop guy asks "What happened?" Brother says "You assholes figure it out" and leaves. Later on he gets a call from the manager who says something like "Sir, this isn't our fault. It is YOUR responsibility to check your lugnuts before you start driving." He calmly and rationaly (you could hear him yelling half a mile away) explained that they had JUST fixed it and he had JUST left. The guy still wanted to say it wasn't their responsibility, but the second my brother mentioned a lawyer, they changed their mind and paid for the damages.

At LSA Anaconda, someone in my unit forgot to tighten the lug nuts and the wheel fell off over by the PX. Boy was that funny as shiat. I don't remember if the guy was chewed out for that.

We were on convoy (in the states) and the humvee in front of me lost a wheel. Rotor and all. Whole Goddamn thing broke off. The driver got it to the shoulder, but he dug a 1 foot trench through the dirt with the rear.

sniderman:Guy comes in with a super-nice sports car of some sorts for a tire rotation. Hands the keys to the chucklehead and demands that he not use the air gun to put the lugs on

To be fair to the owner, very little provides an idiot with the capacity to disprove the term 'foolproof' like a rattle gun.

For an ever increasing number of vehicles rotating tyres is like changing the oil every 5000 miles - something your father told you to do that serves little purpose other than to give Jiffy Lube money. Not long ago I pulled in next to a BMW at Fashion Island* with staggered rims fitted to the wrong axles.

The tire places always say to return in a day after rotating the tires because the lug nuts could loosen on aluminum rims, or was that alloy rims.But wouldn't the lug nuts re-loosen again after re-tightening them?Seems like an endless loop.

Deep Contact:The tire places always say to return in a day after rotating the tires because the lug nuts could loosen on aluminum rims, or was that alloy rims.But wouldn't the lug nuts re-loosen again after re-tightening them?Seems like an endless loop.

[serious hat]Crud in the threads can give a false torque reading. This is often worked out over a few miles after the nuts are tightened, leaving them slightly loose. Re-checking after 50 miles or so is a sensible precaution, given that the correct torque is safety critical.[/serious hat]